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Well it's summer again and time for some beach reading material. I just finished "Rule of Four" which is quite fun and rather well-written for a number 1 best-seller. Now I'm into "War of the Flowers" by Tad Williams. It's a guilty pleasure about a San Francisco singer, down on his luck, who gets transported into the fairy realm and embroiled in the war between the ruling families. And for good measure, he then finds out that he was never really mortal at all ...
Registered: Aug 2003
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-"Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield, my favorite book of all time. It's about the 300 Spartans who died at the pass of Thermopolyae, and I try to re-read it every three or four years. I've never seen a better description of valor, comradarie, or honor in my life.
-"American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, which I'm actually in the middle of. Very, very cool stuff and great reading.
-All five Harry Potter books, which I loved so much, I started my own thread about.
-Since summer and Christmas are the only times I get to do any non-comic book pleasure reading (school kills that), I'm hoping to read "Mystic River", which my girlfriend got me for Valentine's Day, and Bram Stoker's "Dracula", which I just got a free copy of when I bought an indie horror magazine.
"War of Flowers" sound very cool Semi!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Cobie, I was never able to get through "American Gods." I think I read about 150 pages and just never cared. I gave my copy away to someone at work. It's too bad, because I had really looked forward to it and was expecting to like it a lot. The reviews were great, and most people I know have really enjoyed it.
Registered: Aug 2003
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Semi, thanks for the heads up on "War of the Flowers". I've always enjoyed Tad Williams books so I'll have to pick that up.
-------------------- "Hey Jim! Get Mon out of the Zone!! And...when do we get Condo back?"
From: Paragon City on patrol | Registered: Jul 2003
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Semi, I think a lot of Gaiman's writing is hit or miss. I know my Dad never liked Sandman at all, and dropped the series after the first 30 issues, leaving my brother unable to finish reading the series until he buys the trades (I read the trades in college). I've been reading "American Gods" for awhile now, and stopped reading it altogether for about a month. I think sometimes I have to be in the right mood for Gaiman's writing, which can make it very satisfying and enjoyable.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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I just finished Storm Constantine's Wraethu trilogy. She has a poetic style to her prose, but it's not the most effective for storytelling. Judging from her shift by the end of the third book, I'm guessing that's not the first time she got that comment.
-------------------- Just spouting off.
From: Denver, CO | Registered: May 2004
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Bikini Planet, an intellectual treatise on... yeah right.
Master and Commander: I've not seen the movie, but the book was excellent. Lot's of ship-tech and period language. A tough read for a math teacher but well worth the effort. Anybody read any of this series? Is it worth going on?
Two Cussler Dirk Pitt novels. Mind candy, nothing more.
I checked the library for any graphic novels. We got nothing and the money budget isn't letting me do an Amazon.com order.
From: East Toledo | Registered: Jul 2003
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I picked up all five (at least I think there were only five) of the Wild Cards series of books edited by George R.R. Martin. I'd heard of this series for years but had never read it before. Wonderful stuff.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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BB- I read the whole Aubrey/Maturin series - obviously, I'm biased! Great stuff if you like the details of history, from the big events to everday life - frequently funny - I skimmed over most of the sea battle descriptions.
Right now I'm reading a strange and funny sci-fi novel, Galactic Rapture by Tom Flynn. Set in 2344, a very backward Earth is granted membership in the Galactic Confetory. The galaxy goes wild for Earth's religions, especially Catholicism - the Vatican is granted its own planet and takes religious exploitation to new heights (or lows).
The other big Earth export is "senso" - undercover agents with bio-implants become human cameras, conceal themselves among primitive and savage societies and broadcast scenes of gruesome daily life to eager audiences.
posted
After I finish War of the Flowers (which I am loving, immensely), I'm going to read "Factoring Hunamity" by Robert J. Sawyer, a prolific Canadian Sci-Fi writer. It's seems to be a fantasy summer for me (reading-wise).
Registered: Aug 2003
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Just finished The DaVinci Code. It's been awhile since I 've read a suspense thriller, but this was so much more. I can't believe that all that historical research he found out is for real..or is it? Does anybody out there know how legitimate the author's findings are?
I just started The Lovely Bones by Anne Sebold. -not exactly uplifting, but I was curious to see why it was so successful.
From: Canada | Registered: Jul 2003
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Owl Lad, I read "The Da Vinci Code" a few months ago and did some online research. There are several websites and also books that explore just how accurate Dan Brown's depictions of history and art are.
One example that stands out to me is the passage from an apocryphal text in which Jesus is described as kissing Mary Magdalene on the mouth. This passage does exist, according to one site, but it's incomplete. Brown apparently fabricated the "on the mouth" bit, among other things.
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Fat Cramer: I skimmed over most of the sea battle descriptions.
What! But that's when body limbs fly and cannon balls cut off heads, you know, the good stuff. Living on the Lakes as I do, the battle maneuvering are actually the best parts.
Since most of my non math/tech reading is smoltz like Cussler, I'm amazed when I pick up a real book, at the efficiency of the prose. Every sentence is useful, nothing wasted in this book.
From: East Toledo | Registered: Jul 2003
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